Identifying the Creative Personality

     A survey of a large number of studies designed to identify individuals as being highly creative was used to compile the following list of characteristics to differentiat highly creative persons from less creative ones.

  1. Accepts disorder
  2. Adventurous
  3. Strong affection
  4. Altruistic
  5. Awareness of others
  6. Always baffled by something
  7. Attracted to disorder
  8. Attracted to mysterious
  9. Attempts difficult jobs (sometimes too difficult)
  10. Bashful outwardly
  11. Constructive in criticism
  12. Courageous
  13. Deep and conscientious conventions
  14. Defies conventions of courtesy
  15. Defies conventions of health
  16. Desires to excel
  17. Determination
  18. Differentiated value-hierarchy
  19. Discontented
  20. Disturbs organization
  21. Dominant (not in a power sense)
  22. Emotional
  23. Emotionally sensitive
  24. Energetic
  25. A fault-finder
  26. Doesn't fear thought "different"
  27. Feels whole parade is out of step
  28. Full of curiosity
  29. Appears haughty & self-satisfied at times
  30. Likes solitude
  31. Independence in judgment
  32. Independence in thinking
  33. Intuitive
  34. Industrious
  35. Introversive
  36. Keeps unusual hours
  37. Lacks business ability
  38. Makes mistakes
  39. Never bored
  40. Nonconforming
  41. Not hostile or negative
  42. Not popular
  43. Oddities of habit
  44. Persistent
  45. Becomes preoccupied with problem
  46. Preference for complex ideas
  47. Questioning
  48. Radical
  49. Receptive to external stimuli
  50. Receptive to ideas of others
  51. Regresses occasionally
  52. Rejection of suppresion as a mechanism of impulse control
  53. Rejection of repression
  54. Reserved
  55. Resolute
  56. Self-assertive
  57. Self-starter
  58. Self-aware
  59. Self-confident
  60. Self-sufficient
  61. Senses of destiny
  62. Sense of humor
  63. Sensitive to beauty
  64. Shuns power
  65. Sincere
  66. Not interested in small details
  67. Speculative
  68. Spirited in disagreement
  69. Strives for distant goals
  70. Stubborn
  71. Temperamental
  72. Tenacious
  73. Tender emotion
  74. Timid
  75. Thorough
  76. Unconcerned about power
  77. Somewhat uncultured, primitive
  78. Unsophisticated, naive
  79. Unwilling to accept anything on mere say-so
  80. Visionary
  81. Versatile
  82. Willing to take risks
  83. Somewhat withdrawn and quiescent

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